Gage.



No. 717,938. PATENTED JAN. 6, 1903. S. E. SMITH.

GAGE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.11. 1902.

NO MODEL.

' FFICE.

SETH E. SMITH, OF ELLIOTT, IOWA, ASSIGNOROF ONE-HALF TO EDWARD P.BENNETT, OF GRANT, IOWA.

GAGE.

" SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 717,938, datedJanuary 6, 1903.

Application filed March 11, 1902. Serial No. 97,771. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern: I

Be it known that I, SETH E. SMITH, a citizen of the United States,residing at Elliott,

in the county of Montgomery and State of Iowa,,haveinvented a new anduseful Gage, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to gages, and while particularly intendedas a shinglinggage to be applied to hatchets it may be used for otheranalogous purposes.

One of the prime objects of the invention is to provide a simple andinexpensive gage which may be readily applied to the handle of a hatchetor similar instrument and securely fastened against movement thereon,being readily adjustable upon the handle when so desired.

The preferred embodimentof the invention is clearly shown in theaccompanying drawings and described in thefollowing specification.

In said drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of a hatchet, showingthe gage applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional viewthrough the gage. Fig. 3 is a cross-section, and Fig. 4 is a perspectiveview of the clamp-plate and gage-stop.

Similar numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all thefigures of the drawings.

In carrying out the invention a pair of clamping devices are'employed,one of which is in the form of a collar 10, that is arranged to surroundthe handle of a hatchet or similar instrument and has its ends 11arranged in overlapping relation. Within this collar is movably mounteda clamp-plate 12, that is preferably curved to conform to a surface ofthe handle, said plate projecting beyond both ends of the collar andhaving outstanding guide projections 13, that engage over the edges toprevent longitudinal displacement. One of the projecting ends of theclamp-plate 12 is provided with an oifset outstanding gage-stop 14,which is preferably made integral with the clamp-plate and bent atsubstantially right angles thereto.

The clamp-plate 12 is moved with relation to the collar 10 by means of ascrew 15, carried by the collar 10, said screw passing through openings16, made in the overlapping ends of the collar, and thereby securingsaid ends together. This screw is threaded into a nut 17, located withinthe collar, and its inner end bears upon the clamp-plate 12, as clearlyshown in Figs. 2 and 3.

In use the device is first placed upon the handle of the hatchet,hammer, or other instrument, with the gage-stop at a distance from theend that isequal to the distance at which the courses of shingles are tobe placed. This. distance can be changed by loosening the clamp or setscrew and moving the gage upon the handle. When it is desired to findthe proper distance for the lower end of the shingle to be nailed, thehatchet is laid upon the shingle already in place, with the gagestopagainst the butt of the same. The shingle to be laid is then placed withits butt against the end of the hatchet and after being properlypositioned is held until nailed.

By actual experience it has been found that by means of a gage of thischaracter shingles may be much more quickly placed and properlypositioned than with the use of the Wellknown chalk-line. Its use isespecially desirable where a number of men are employed in shingling, asthey may each operate independently, it not being necessary for them towaiteach time for the line to be marked.

From the foregoing it is thought that the construction, operation, andmany advantages of the herein-described invention will be apparent tothose skilled in the art without further description, and it will beunderstood that various changes in the size, shape, proportion, andminor details-of construction may be resorted to Without departing fromthe spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a gage of the class described, the combination with clampingdevices arranged to engage oppositeportions of a hatchet-handle or thelike, of means for moving the clamping devices with relation to eachother, and a gage-stop carried by one of the devices and extendingacross the handle.

2. In a gage of the class described, the combination with aclamping-collar, of a clamp- ICO ing device movably mounted within thecollar, means for moving the clamping device with relation to thecollar, and a gage-stop carried by one of the clamping elements.

3. In a gage of the class described, the combination with aclamping-collar, of a clamping device i'novably mounted within thecollar, means carried by the collar and engaging the clamping device formoving the same, and a gage-stop carried by the clamping demac.

4. In a gage of the class described, the combination with aclamping-collar, of a clamping-plate movably mounted within the collar,an adjusting-screw passing through the collar and bearing against theplate, and an offset gage-stop carried by the plate and located at oneend of the collar.

5. In a gage ot' the class described, the combination with aclamping-collar, of a clampplate located within the collar andprojecting beyond both ends of the same, said plate having outstandingguide projections that engage over the edges of the collar, a clampscrewpassing through the collar and bearl bination with clamping devicesarranged to engage opposite portions of a hatchet-handle or the like, ofa separate gage-stop carried by one of the clamping devices and arrangedacross the handle.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

SETH E. SMITH.

Witnesses:

ED. S. MONTGOMERY, J. S. LARSON.

